(CNN) - A new survey asked Iowa voters about potential presidential candidates who’ve already run for the White House, and the results show some good news for Republicans Mike Huckabee and Paul Ryan.

But for Rick Santorum, who won the Iowa GOP caucuses in 2012 by a razor-thin margin, and Rick Perry, the results indicate Hawkeye State Republicans aren't quite as excited about the prospects of another presidential bid by the former Pennsylvania senator and the Texas governor.

According to the Des Moines Register poll, less than half (48%) of Republicans in the state think it's a good idea for Santorum to run. Some 30% say it's a bad idea, while 22% are unsure.

Iowa, which holds the nation's first nominating contest in presidential election years, was a heavy focus for Santorum in his last presidential run. He traveled to all 99 counties and became the surprise victor of the state's caucuses.

Santorum battled Mitt Romney far into the 2012 primary calendar but ultimately dropped out in April.

Perry, meanwhile, holds a narrow advantage over Santorum in the new poll. According to the survey, 50% think it's a good idea for the governor to run again. The 2 percentage point advantage over Santorum falls within the survey’s sampling error.

In the poll, 34% say it would be a bad idea for Perry to get back in the presidential ring, while 16% are unsure.

Perry generated a lot of buzz when he entered the 2012 White House contest, but he finished a disappointing fifth place in the early January caucuses.

After placing last in the New Hampshire primary a week later, he dropped out of the contest, just before the South Carolina primary.

In the survey, 65% of Republicans think it would be a good idea if former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee ran again. The Baptist minister won the Iowa caucuses in 2008.

His surprising Iowa win gave Huckabee the momentum to carry him through the primary process until March, when Sen. John McCain clinched the nomination.

According to the poll, 25% say it would be a bad idea for him to run again, while 10% are unsure.

And 2012 GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan appears to have a lot of support in Iowa - this time for president. Some 67% of Republicans say it would be good for the congressman from Wisconsin to run, while 16% say it would be bad and 17% are unsure.

On the Democratic side, 88% of Democrats want former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to run again, while 58% say it would be a good idea for Vice President Joe Biden to campaign. Clinton came in third during the 2008 Iowa caucuses, losing to then-Sen. Barack Obama's big finish. Biden came in fifth place that year, with only 1% of the vote.

The poll was conducted February 23-26, with 703 Iowa adults interviewed. The overall sampling error is 3.7 percentage points.

soundoff(17 Responses)

Rick Santorum and Rick Perry are the most credible corn dog eaters running for president .

practice makes perfect !

March 9, 2014 06:00 pm at 6:00 pm |

Marie MD

Dumb and dumber

March 9, 2014 06:15 pm at 6:15 pm |

nintex

It would be a great idea if none of these losers ever ran again, but that would mean the Republicans would have to come up with a sane, moderate candidate that is actually electable. I don't see that happening between now and 2016.

March 9, 2014 06:16 pm at 6:16 pm |

Gurgyl

Jesus, these two are vying for WH bid? One is Stone Age idiot, the other eradicates Department of Education. USA needs education–not racists.

March 9, 2014 06:16 pm at 6:16 pm |

wendel

that's a good word for the whole republican party retreads. No new ideas only complains whinning and bashing. They have no ideas or solutions only the voice of doom. Vote for them and this country goes back into recession and the rich just keep getting richer. And women and gays will be sent back to the last century..

March 9, 2014 06:44 pm at 6:44 pm |

Jeff Brown in Jersey

So nice to see Republicans have no chance at taking back the White House.

March 9, 2014 06:46 pm at 6:46 pm |

Rusty Krus

That's a nice picture of Goober and Barney Fife!

March 9, 2014 06:52 pm at 6:52 pm |

HenryMiller

The Republican Party would be in much better shape if these two bible-thumpers would just go away.

March 9, 2014 08:39 pm at 8:39 pm |

ChrisM

Bring in the retreaded of the clowns. Republicans, do you ever want to taken seriously ever again.

March 9, 2014 09:40 pm at 9:40 pm |

DENNA

That's right, GOP. Pull out the retreads who were so successful last time around. In fact I think you should follow the advice of the CPAC crowd and draft Sarah Palin. Why not? She was also very successful the last time around. LOL

March 9, 2014 10:09 pm at 10:09 pm |

ThinkAgain - Don't like Congress? Get rid of the repub/tea bag majority.

Santorum thinks that folks who go to college – like all the doctors, researchers and other professionals who keep his special-needs daughter alive – are "snobs." Again, with the insult to gop voters!

The latest candidate to emerge from the gop clown-car is Rant Paul, who has yet to reveal what nation in the history of our planet has had sustainable, broad-based economic prosperity and social justice as a result of the policies he claims would be oh-so-good for our country.

Hey, gop voters, when are you folks going to get tired of being treated like idiots?

March 9, 2014 10:26 pm at 10:26 pm |

rs

Maybe if Perry and Santorum just come out, that will make it all okay again.

March 9, 2014 10:43 pm at 10:43 pm |

pbcalif

Retreads is a good word. Romney, Paul, Santorum, Palin, same old rehetoric, same old baloney, abortion, voter intimidation, Obama, yakety, yak. Do Americans really have to go thru this with them again? There is always the mute buttom and cartoons.

March 10, 2014 01:00 am at 1:00 am |

troppo1

what difference would it make??? Hillary is going to be the next POTUS

March 10, 2014 04:27 am at 4:27 am |

NATHAN WIMBERLY

The debt ceiling was just the start. Can't wait to see Grover Norquist and the GOBP stuff Jeb Bush down the tea potty's throats 2012 Mitt the twit style.